Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is warning residents to keep pumpkins indoors this year after a record surge in bear sightings and porch pumpkin thefts. This fall, bears in Colorado have been feeding on pumpkins left on porches, in front yards, and even outside grocery stores.
Bears are currently in a compulsive feeding phase, consuming up to 20,000 calories a day to build fat reserves before hibernation. Drought and wildfires have reduced natural food sources, forcing bears into urban areas in record numbers.
While pumpkins are a fun Halloween tradition, leaving them outside this year is risky—for both wildlife and people. CPW urges Coloradans to keep them indoors to reduce conflicts.
